Caleb's Birthday Gift
by Candace Marie
Summary: I have one important thing to say about this story, it was done as a birthday challenge to my very good friend and beta Caleb! It is due to our many conversations that this fiction was born, even if you aren't Caleb, I hope you take a look at it, but I know that Caleb will enjoy it!


Thame Cerulian

Thame Cerulian had recently returned from Korriban, and had turned on his datapad to record his findings for any Jedi that would need the information in the future, even though it was obvious that the Jedi Council didn't consider the Sith a relevant topic.

"Data Entry # 34135

Jedi Master Thame Cerulian

Mission: Korriban

Questions are leading to more questions. The changes the Sith have made to these holocrons are abundantly clear as I have been to Korriban prior and found many differences in the holocrons. I have obtained the holocrons and brought them back to shed new answers to the burning questions. Who could have made these changes, and why? What does this mean for the Jedi, and for the future of the Republic? Can we as Jedi continue to ignore the growing darkness found within the Force? When I was a younger man, the Force seemed to me a stream of constant light flowing like eternal springtime. Now I can feel an edge of darkness springing forth throughout the light like a cancerous sore infecting the light with darkness. Who is responsible for this darkness? Could we as Jedi be unknowingly spreading this darkness, is there some way to change the course if history? Is the prophecy correct? And who is this Chosen One? More research is needed to divine the contents of the holocrons in my possession…." Thame Cerulian was interrupted by the beeping of his beacon alerting him to the fact that the Jedi Masters required his attention. Thame Cerelian sighed, he doubted they would be interested in what he had learned on Korriban, but they needed to hear it. Somehow, Thame thought that was not the reason they were summoning him. Thame sighed as he turned off his datapad, put the holocron back and headed toward the Council chambers.

Thame briefly wondered what his padawan was getting into today. He hadn't seen him since before Thame had left for Korriban. He hadn't been able to take the young boy with him. Korriban was no place for a young lad. Tyrone had assured him he would be fine before he left, and he believed him. Tyrone had a way about him where it was easy for him to amuse himself. Thame smiled at the thought of his padawan. He really should have seen him upon his return but he had been in a hurry to check his data. When Master Thame entered, he saw that the whole Council was convened. He saw Yoda and Yaddle presiding, along with Master Ramo Batriol and Master Tor Diffusal. They looked at him with disappointment. What could he have done this time, he absently wondered?

Thame bowed to the Masters of the Order, and smiled a little hesitantly, he could feel their disapproval throughout the Force.

"About your padawan, this is?"

"Tyrone? I can't imagine…that is to say that Tyrone is worthy of an apprenticeship, that he deserves the best."

"Agree with you, I do," Master Yoda intoned, his ears twitching a bit as he smoothed down the few strands of gray hair upon his aged head. "Long have I watched, Ty. Capable, Ty is. Guidance he needs."

"He's very able to do on his own, with very little guidance. Just today he sought me out for weapons training, though he was doing well enough, especially for a padawan his age," Master Tor added.

"Attention to your padawan, do you give?" Master Yaddle added.

"Of course, Masters," Thame added quickly. "Tyrone understands that when he is capable I will bring him…." Thame froze on his words. They were right; he had been ignoring his padawan.

"I recently discovered that Tyrone has yet to build a lightsaber," Master Tor added.

"I realize that, Masters," Thame said with a frown, "It seems I have been a bit negligent in the training of my padawan. I will correct this immediately," Thame said standing up and looking them straight in the eyes. He had been wrong to put his research with the Sith above the welfare and training of his padawan. Though the return of the Sith was important, it did not take precedence over training his padawan, who with the right training, could be one of the greatest and strongest Jedi Masters to ever graze the Jedi archives. Thame would be proud of Tyrone one day. There was something special about Tyrone Dooku, something that had drawn him to the youngling more than a year prior. He had been extremely negligent in not taking Tyrone to Ilum to construct his lightsaber. This would need to be corrected immediately.

"Agree with you, I do. Corrected this will be," Master Yoda intoned as his green ears flopped to the side and he reached one of his strange alien hands up to his sparsely haired hair smoothing the gray strands aside.

"I have a suggestion," Master Ramo said clearly and concisely. "I have found Tyrone to be a likeable lad; he takes great initiative in his studies, something that is rare in an initiate or padawan. It seems that young Tyrone has an interest in a rarely used form. To be honest, I only teach it as a basis for the other forms," the weapons master continued. "I would enjoy the test of teaching Makashi to Tyrone."

Thame frowned over Ramo's obvious interest in his padawan, though he was an accepting man, and he trusted in the Force and the will of the Force. Thame did the best he could with the gifts the Force had given him, if the Force decided to take Tyrone from him, he would accept that, although he knew Tyrone would always be special to him. This was unexpected, very unexpected. He hadn't seen the fact that Tyrone had obvious come under interest of the Council, or perhaps he had come under interest of the Council. It was quite obvious to him that the Council had been discussing this situation for quite a while.

"Busy, you are, Tor. The weapons master you are. Need someone, to guide him, Ty does."

"Do I not get a say in this?" Thame found himself saying. All eyes turned to him immediately.

"We should consider his request," T'ra Saa commented. "There is a reason Thame was drawn to Padawan Dooku, perhaps we should consider all sides of this argument and come to the best decision for all that are involved."

"Discuss this already, we have," Master Yaddle added.

"Master Yoda and Master Tor both bring up good points," Ramo added, "This is the future of a padawan, a thing that should not be decided lightly."

Thame knew that he had lost, if Master Yoda, Master Yaddle, and Master Ramo had already decided on Tyrone's fate, then all Thame could do was hope for the best, and continue his research. Thame sighed and waited for Tyrone's fate to be decided.

"I would look forward to the task of reawakening Makashi and seeing how far Tyrone can take this form, and where he can go with it."

"Too many students, you have. Individual attention, Ty needs," Master Yoda said pointing his gimer stick at Tor. Thame stood there and waited for Tyrone's fate to be decided. It wasn't so much a decision as whether Thame would continue training him, but whether Tor or Master Yoda would train his padawan.

"For over eight hundred years, have I decided what Jedi to train," Master Yoda continued, "My own council will I keep on who is ready. Too busy, you are Tor. Too many students, you already have. A century it has been since last I trained, ready I am," Master Yoda laughed queerly, "Yes, ready I am."

In the end, it was decided, Master Yoda would train Tyrone and it was Thame's responsibility to inform his padawan, as punishment for ignoring him Thame thought. Tyrone's fate had been decided before he had been called in. All this meeting had been was a formality. One day, he would find one to mentor, in the ways of the Sentinel, one who would ferret out the darkness and bring it to light, one who would be able to sense and destroy the Sith, one who would listen to what many Jedi believed were his eccentric ideals.


End file.
